The Padi No Fear Diving Specialty Course

[Pullmyfinger]

We dive in the Red Triangle, the same place Marco Flagg was bitten by an 18ft Great White shark, and dive in the same place that Randy Fry had his head bite clean off while his dive buddy watched. Many surfers are bitten and have died in the sames areas. We have been planning on diving at the Farallon Islands which is the home of the Great White sharks that we call the Landlord. Sometimes I hear the "ominous music" and get scared, especially when a seal lion sneaks up on us at 90ft with less than 8ft of vis, and smacks into my leg hard with no warning, or when a 14ft Elephant Seal passes by right at the edge of visibility (I got off the trigger as my heart skipped a beat). Would you video the dive at the Farallon's? Can you help with my fears?

I just looked that up!
I have never heard of that incident before, it's hard to imagine.

-Mitch

 

[SeaHorse81]

I don't know if anyone else on the thread is a psychotherapist, but I am, so I'll weigh in. I guess this guy is a therapist trying to combine his various interests/skills into a marketing niche. I really don't see this as a specialty course because as far as I can tell, any instructor has plenty of experience dealing with students' fears. If you do it well, you use some combination of education, reassurance, systematic desensitization, and exposure. If you're really on the ball, you also coach your students in how to talk themselves through it in ways where they increase their ability to calm themselves down rather than working themselves up.

This is not complicated, but it involves sensitivity, patience, and the willingness/ability to pace the training and structure to the students' needs a bit more sometimes. I've seen caring instructors use these practices and it is a touching and inspiring thing to watch.

If anyone has a truly crippling phobia, enough that they're willing to travel and spend specialty money on someone to help them get over it, I'm not sure how they'd have made it through certification in the first place, and would think they likely shouldn't have. Otherwise, I'd presume the fears are more in the painful-but-workable realm, and there are already lots of very capable people willing to help students through them without calling it something special.

 

[xspect]

But, is he really a therapist ? I didnt see any evidence of completion of formal training ?

 

[SeaHorse81]

But, is he really a therapist ? I didnt see any evidence of completion of formal training ?

Hard to say, as therapists don't always post their credentials on their website. He describes working with some population groups that add credibility to the claim. I never heard of ergo-therapy prior to this, and having read his site, still can't say I understand what makes it different from standard clinical methods employed by a gazillion therapists everywhere.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I don't care how you slice it, IF (and I still call BS on this one) PADI does stand behind this, then it proves that there is absolutely nothing they will not do to get more money from a person.

 

[SeaHorse81]

It does raise visions of the Fin Donning Specialty, the BC Power Inflation Specialty, etc. I suppose you could break the process down into ever-smaller, separately purchased pieces to the point of absolute absurdity. I'm aware that some think that is already well underway.

 

[Diver0001]

Hard to say, as therapists don't always post their credentials on their website. He describes working with some population groups that add credibility to the claim. I never heard of ergo-therapy prior to this, and having read his site, still can't say I understand what makes it different from standard clinical methods employed by a gazillion therapists everywhere.

Ergo-therapy is what one would call occupational therapy in English.

R..

P.S. I still can't understand how there can be a market for this. If someone really has an irrational fear of drowning or water then you can't certify them to begin with. In theory nobody should eligible for this course.

 

[Peter_C]

We dive in the Red Triangle, the same place Marco Flagg was bitten by an 18ft Great White shark, and dive in the same place that Randy Fry had his head bite clean off while his dive buddy watched. Many surfers are bitten and have died in the sames areas. We have been planning on diving at the Farallon Islands which is the home of the Great White sharks that we call the Landlord. Sometimes I hear the "ominous music" and get scared, especially when a seal lion sneaks up on us at 90ft with less than 8ft of vis, and smacks into my leg hard with no warning, or when a 14ft Elephant Seal passes by right at the edge of visibility (I got off the trigger as my heart skipped a beat). Would you video the dive at the Farallon's? Can you help with my fears?

But what about my very real fears?

Maybe I should just get the tee-shirt, wear it inside my drysuit and believe it will protect me, while also giving me guidance?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

You really need one of the t shirts I had made for UDM Aquatic Services.
.

 

[boulderjohn]

For those of you who keep talking about PADI approving this for the purpose of making a profit, forget it. When someone takes a Distinctive Specialty class, all the money goes to the instructor/shop that offers it. PADI only makes the fee for processing the card, which isn't much.